McPherson – Week of December 26 2024
Tax foreclosure sale planned; Sheriff upgrades cameras; Police seek substation bids; Dillons gets beer license; Personnel changes; Bullpup Sports
1. McPherson County to Hold First Tax Foreclosure Sale in Years
2. Sheriff's Office Upgrades Body and Dash Cameras
3. Police Department Seeks Bids for New Substation Renovation
4. County Approves Enhanced Beer License for Dillons Under State Liquor Law
5. McPherson Personnel Announcements
McPherson Bullpups Sports Report
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CORRECTION 12/27/24: A previous version of this article had 2 factual errors, one substantial and the other related to source attribution.
First, Dave Bohnenblust will be new Public Works Director effective 2/1/25, I incorrectly stated he will be the County Administrator. Additionally, Rick Witte is not retiring as County Administrator.
Second, I incorrectly sourced the Dillions cereal malt beverage license item to the County. That came from the City meeting, but is otherwise correct.
1. McPherson County to Hold First Tax Foreclosure Sale in Years
The McPherson County Commission has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a judicial tax foreclosure sale, the first such sale to be held in the county for several years. The sale, planned for 2025, will auction off properties with delinquent property taxes dating back at least three years.
County Counselor Brian Bina explained that a tax sale allows the county to recoup unpaid property taxes by seizing and auctioning off the properties in question. Owners of the affected properties were notified about a year ago, at which time over 100 parcels were eligible. That number has since been reduced to 39 properties still meeting the 3-year delinquency criteria. Bina recommended starting with a smaller sale to allow his relatively new staff to gain experience with the process. The County Commissioners will review the final list of properties on a case-by-case basis before the sale. Once this initial sale is completed, work will begin on a second, likely larger, sale for properties that meet the criteria at that time.
Article Source: McPherson County
2. McPherson County Sheriff's Office Upgrades Body and Dash Cameras
The McPherson County Sheriff's Office will be upgrading its body and dash camera system in the coming months, after the County Commission unanimously approved a five-year contract with Axon Enterprises. The new system will replace the current WatchGuard cameras, which have reached the end of their five-year lifespan.
Undersheriff Bergstrom presented the winning bid from Axon, which will cost the county $41k annually for the next five years, coming in slightly under the department's $42k budget for the upgrade. The new system boasts several improvements, including unlimited cloud storage, eliminating the need for local servers and making it easier to share footage with the County Attorney's office. The Axon cameras will also feature automatic activation within a 30-40 foot radius when a deputy deploys their Taser, ensuring that critical incidents are captured even if an officer doesn't manually start their camera. Additionally, the contract includes a complete hardware refresh halfway through the five-year period, with all-new body cameras provided at the 2.5-year mark.
Article Source: McPherson County
3. McPherson Police Department Seeks Bids for New Substation Renovation
The McPherson Police Department is seeking bids for the renovation of a property at 218 E. Kansas Ave., which will be converted into a new police substation. Interested contractors can submit sealed bids until the opening at 10 a.m. on January 23, 2025, with Operations Captain Ryan Bauer available at 620-245-1200 or ryanb@mcpcity.com to field inquiries about the project.
Article Source: City of McPherson
4. City Approves Enhanced Beer License for Dillons Under State Liquor Law
McPherson County commissioners approved an enhanced cereal malt beverage license for Dillons grocery store during their recent meeting. The license, established under Kansas' 2019 liquor law reforms, allows retailers to sell beer containing up to 6% alcohol by volume. This marked a significant change from the previous restriction that limited grocery and convenience stores to selling only 3.2% beer, a longtime standard in Kansas. The 2019 law modernized the state's alcohol regulations, bringing Kansas in line with neighboring states and expanding consumer options while requiring local government oversight through licensing requirements.
Article Source: City of McPherson
5. McPherson County Personnel Announcements
County Administrator
Dave Bohnenblust has been appointed as the new Public Works Director, effective February 1, 2025. Bohnenblust, who was recently elected to the McPherson County Commission, will resign his commission position to assume the new responsibilities. Prior to his official start date, Bohnenblust plans to conduct introductory meetings with county staff to ensure a smooth transition.
City Attorney
Ann Elliott will succeed Jeff Houston as City Attorney. Houston concludes his tenure after serving the city for 17 years in this capacity.
County Appraiser
Joseph Pennycuff will step down from his position as McPherson County Appraiser, effective December 31, 2024. The county will begin the process of identifying his successor.
Article Source: City of McPherson, County
McPherson Bullpups Sports Report
Basketball
• Girls: McPherson 54, Circle 52 (Win)
• Boys: McPherson 62, Circle 36 (Win)
• Girls: McPherson 16, Bishop Meige 70 (Loss)
• Boys: McPherson 71, Bishop Meige 58 (Win)
810 Varsity Showcase post-game interview
Debate
McPherson's Debate Team secured their fifth consecutive regional championship on December 20th, maintaining their undefeated status. Led by standout senior Sam Houston, the team advances to the state competition in January, where they'll pursue their fourth straight state title.
Wrestling
Girls - Abilene Invitational
McPherson Top Finishers:
• 110 lbs: Lexi Patterson (2nd)
• 115 lbs: Tylee Wilson (2nd)
• 130 lbs: Molly Owen (3rd)
• 170 lbs: Addie French (2nd)
Boys Wrestling
Dual Meet: Augusta 57, McPherson 24
Abilene Invitational
Team Standings:
- Abilene - 235.5 points
- Scott City - 147.5 points
- Silver Lake - 134.5 points
McPherson Top Finishers:
• 106 lbs: Parker Hulvey (4th)
• 120 lbs: John Robben (2nd)
• 138 lbs: Kaeson Curtis (4th)
• 190 lbs: Brock Richardson (3rd)
• 215 lbs: Catch DeLaney (1st)
• 215 lbs: Dylan Hall (2nd)
Article Source: Ad Astra Radio
Sponsors
Sources
1. https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/949/BOCC-Recent-Agendas-Minutes-and-Video
2. https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/949/BOCC-Recent-Agendas-Minutes-and-Video
3. city announcement
5. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1102280698205738
https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/949/BOCC-Recent-Agendas-Minutes-and-Video
6. https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-sports/ad-astra-radio-thursday-high-school-scoreboard-12-19-24
https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-sports/ad-astra-radio-saturday-high-school-scoreboard-12-21-24